Past Events

Field trip to Mount Watkin/Hikaroroa

Mount Watkin/Hikaroroa is a 616 metre peak located north-west of Waikouaiti. It is a volcanic peak surrounded by a schist landscape with fine views of Karitane and Waikouaiti estuaries. The DCC's 650-hectare Mt Watkin / Hikaroroa Reserve is regarded one of the best remaining examples of dry coastal forest in Otago. This trip will also look at the magnificent basalt rock glaciers and the higher slopes of the peak. Finding Gingidia grisea was a highlight of a previous trip (reported as Gingidia montana in Newsletter #37). This is the southernmost distributional limit for this north Otago endemic plant. Foul weather back up date Sunday 4^th August. Meet at Botany Department car park 8:30 am. Return 5:00 pm.

Painting a picture of Miocene subtropical Otago—forests and lakes, flowers and fruit, and invertebrates in amber

A Department of Botany seminar. Dr Daphne Lee, Department of Geology. Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St

Ghoul fungi and other horrors: systematics of Hebeloma and Cortinarius

A Department of Botany seminar. Dr David Orlovich, Department of Botany. Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St.

Plants and vegetation of Dunedin 150 years ago

How did Dunedin look when Dunedin Botanic Garden was a seedling? We can't know for sure, but botanist Dr Peter Johnson can give us a really good glimpse into the past. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Field trip to Evansdale Glen

Evansdale Glen is a sheltered reserve north of Dunedin beyond Waitati. Vegetation is mixed kanuka broadleaf shrubland which has been extensively modified through human activity. We will follow the track up Careys Creek and continue up a leading spur to the Mountain Track Road; an easy, sheltered location for a mid-winter excursion. Foul weather back up date Sunday 7th July. Meet 9.00 am at Botany Department car park, 464 Great King Street.

Botany in the Deep South

Note this talk was originally scheduled for Thursday 20 June, but it was postponed to Wednesday 26 June 2013 due to the snowy weather. Brian Rance, a botanist and ecologist in the Science and Technical section of Department of Conservation based in Invercargill will provide a shorter version of the Druce Memorial talk that he gave to the Wellington Botanical Society AGM last year. Tony Druce botanised extensively in Inland Otago and Northern Southland. This botanically rich and geographically diverse area covers the drylands and block mountains of Central Otago to the mountains, wetlands and forests of Northern Southland. The talk will discuss Tony's work and will revisit some of the places and plants that Tony studied. It will also visit other places through Fiordland and Stewart Island including some alpine, wetland and dune areas. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Banks' Florilegium at the Hocken Library

Banks' Florilegium is a collection of copperplate engravings of plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander while they accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyage around the world between 1768 and 1771. They collected plants in Madeira, Brazil, Tierra del Fuego, the Society Islands, New Zealand, Australia and Java. See here for more information. Meet at the foyer of the Hocken Library at 9:30 a.m.

Above the Treeline and Beyond

A talk by David Lyttle on a series of botanical excursions around the South Island in the latter part of 2012 and beginning of 2013. The talk will cover visits to Mt Cook, the Craigieburn Range, Arthurs Pass and will include a trip down the West Coast to Haast that was undertaken as one of the Southern Connections pre-conference tours. The talk will be illustrated by photos featuring botanical and ecological highlights of New Zealand's mountains and forests. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Visit to Ferntree Lodge Gardens, Ferntree Drive, Wakari

Ferntree Lodge was the home of the Thomson family for 60 years. The house was bought in 1898 by Alexander Thomson (1846–1904) a well known Dunedin soft drink manufacturer, and it was during the Thomson's ownership that many of the existing trees were planted. Over 6,600 square metres of lawns, gardens and trees were planted. Most were natives, particularly North Island varieties rarely seen in the lower South Island. Two of Alexander Thomson's sons, William Alexander (Bill — the eldest) and John Scott (Jack — the fourth) became distinguished amateur botanists. William Thomson lived at Ferntree Lodge until his death in 1950. The Lodge and garden have had a chequered history since then with the property being subdivided and the gardens neglected. The property is now owned by Tim Vanderhaegen and his wife Sofie who wish to restore it. They have issued an invitation to the BSO to view the garden which in its time was one of the more notable gardens in the Dunedin area and still contains many of the trees planted by the Thomsons. Rain date 12^th May Sunday. Meet 9:00 a.m. at Botany Department Car Park, 464 Great King Street.

Tunnel Beach

Half-day visit to the dramatic coastal sandstone cliffs, caves, tunnels and arches just south of Dunedin. It's a short 20 min walk down to the mouth of the tunnel, where a stunning natural arch is still covered in a close mat of coastal turf plants, despite continued grazing and trampling. Look out for; tiny selliera (Selliera radicans), sea primrose (Samolus repens) and tiny button daisy (Leptinella dioica) and their low-growing companions. A hand lens and kneeling pad would be handy. Dress for the weather and wear shoes or boots with a good grip—the drop-offs are sheer! Meet at the Botany Car Park for car pooling, or at the Tunnel Beach car park 20 min later.

BSO AGM and 2013 Photo Competition

Come and see all the fabulous photos of fascinating plants on the big screen, and vote for the print you like the best — it could end up in next year's calendar. There are always lots of tips on how to take even more stunning botanical photos. Always a fun and informative evening. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Botany Postgraduate Presentations

Two talks: (i) Digging for diazotrophs: uncovering the diversity and role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in New Zealand grasslands, by Jocelyn Chua PhD Candidate, and (ii) Alfalfa mosaic virus invades New Zealand: where, how many times? by Aiko Lignon, MSc Candidate. Botany Department Seminar, Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St.

High Arctic Hijinks; Flora, Fauna and Darkness

A talk by Lorna Little. Lorna has visited the archipelago of Svalbard (72°N to 81°N) as part of her PhD studies. Her presentation will describe some her PhD work looking into flower colour, and will share some of the interesting botanical aspects of her fieldwork, as well as what life can be like in this Arctic region. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Are GM Plants Really a Threat to a Clean Green Image?

A talk by Associate Professor John Knight, Department of Marketing University of Otago. Botany Department Seminar, Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St.

A morning 'Photo Walk' at the Dunedin Botanic Garden

This will be an informal joint activity with the Dunedin Camera Club with the aim of providing a mutually beneficial experience for both club members to share photo tips and botanical information. Meet at 9:30 a.m. outside The Croque-O-Dile Café and return there for coffee when weary or desperate. Foul weather back up date is 24^th March at 9:30 a.m.

Photo competitions coming up:

• The Botanic Garden celebrates its 150^th anniversary this year and is hosting a photography competition (with prizes!) for the public to enter
• The annual BSO photo competition for BSO members closes on 20^th March
• The Dunedin Camera Club members have open and nature category competitions throughout the year
• The Otago Museum's wildlife photo competition entries close on 21^st April

Details for all competitions can be found on their respective websites